The Ghost Kid
by Misa-kike-chi
Summary: It's a day like any other on the Thousand Sunny, but there are strange sightings on the ship. Where did it come from? Where is it going? If it isn't a klabautermann, then...could it be...a ghost? Join the Strawhats as they discover just what it is that is running around their ship. Pre-timeskip. Nakamaship, no pairings. A theory on klabautermannes and devil fruits.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** (Summary:) It's a day like any other on the Thousand Sunny, but there are strange sightings on the ship. Where did it come from? Where is it going? If it isn't the _klabautermann,_ then...could it be...a ghost? Join the Strawhats as they discover just what it is that is running around their ship. Pre-timeskip. Nakamaship, no pairings.

I do not own One Piece.

* * *

Usopp and Franky were talking animatedly in a corner of the workshop, making broad gestures with abandon when Usopp suddenly froze mid-sweep. He cocked his head from side to side and looked suspiciously at nowhere in particular.

Franky blinked rapidly, "Ow! What's up, bro?"

"Shhh!" Usopp whipped a finger to his lips while his eyes roamed the air. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

The two tilted their heads side to side. Right when Franky was about to question the sniper once more, a scampering sound pittered across the floorboards above them. The two stared at each other.

"I don't get it, bro. Isn't that Chopper?"

Usopp hummed, then frowned. "That's...what I thought, but it didn't sound quite like him. Usually there's a...a sort of squeak when he's running around."

They thought about this.

"Wait, the aquarium is above us. And then above that is Chopper's office—but we shouldn't be able to hear him running around in there."

Usopp looked like he was going to be sick. No other crew member was lighter than the resident doctor. "A-a-a-a ghost?"

Franky sat down on a crate and took a swig of his cola, "It could've been the Thousand Sunny's _klabautermann_."

Usopp collapsed on a stool behind him, "Oh, thank goodness. So it wasn't a random ghost?"

A flash of light and the sound of the hatch opening and closing commanded their attentions.

"Huh?" Usopp sat up from his slump and stared at the dark hallway leading to the docking system. Come in, whoever you are! We're not working on anything dangerous," a cheery Usopp grinned.

Silence.

"Aa-uh...This isn't funny." Usopp was beginning to look nervous. "You can come in..."

"The _klabautermann_?"

But the eery feeling and sound wasn't around…Usopp frowned at the darkness.

A small form peering into the room took shape under Usopp's squint, but it wasn't clear enough to distinguish although it looked like Chopper. It was beginning to look like Chopper—it must have been the short doctor—but Usopp was beginning to wish he had left the hallway lights on as he and Franky stared expectantly. And then he couldn't take it anymore.

"Aaahhhhh!" He lunged towards the path between the workrooms and whipped out his slingshot, spooking Franky with the sudden outburst. Usopp huffed heavily, glaring at the hallway. He blinked. The hatch opened and closed quickly. _But I didn't see–…!_

"U-usopp?"

The sniper whirled around only to see a very wide-eyed reindeer frozen at the top of the stairs. Chopper squealed and tried to hide—the wrong way, of course.

It was then that Usopp remembered he was pointing Kabuto at the poor reindeer, "O-oh, sorry..."

Franky stuck his head by Usopp's, "Hey! If it isn't Chopper!"

"Did I…come at a bad time…?" Chopper was positively crestfallen and kept eyeing a serious-looking Usopp who was staring at the floorboards.

"Bro, lighten up! What's wrong?"

Usopp was scowling. His thinking face was on. Suddenly he ran and stuck his head up the hatch, yelling for Zoro.

"What." came the muffled reply. Franky and Chopper looked at each and started walking towards the ladder.

"Who was the last person you saw use this hatch?"

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"Just answer me, damnit!"

Chopper imagined Zoro scratching the back of his head. The swordsman replied, "Uhm, you. Why?"

"And before that?"

"…Franky, maybe?"

"H–have you been sleeping there the entire time?"

"What about it?"

They took that as a yes.

"You didn't see the hatch open and close, but nobody go in or out?"

"Yeah, I did. So what?"

Usopp wasn't saying anything. Franky and Chopper couldn't see his expression from their stance right under him. In a second, Usopp was screaming and running into his workshop, looking for his old exorcism stuff.

-~x~- on deck -~x~-

The sun was nearing the portion of its arc across the cloud-specked sky when the weather was warmest. A light breeze kept the air cool but was still strong enough to prompt the Sunny through the calm waters. It was a perfect afternoon to spend on deck, and Nami was not about to waste it.

The crew had just set sail from a summer island, so the girls had had their share of sun-tanning. Instead, they decided to care for the flower beds and _mikan_ grove respectively.

Robin was smiling softly to herself as she listened to the navigator talk haltingly about the layout of the last island in-between particularly hard-to-reach spots. The archaeologist was trying out the new sunhat Nami had insisted on buying for her, and she enjoyed the curious flopping of the wide brim—a new feeling for her. Her two hands smoothed and patted the dirt, plucking up the dying leaves and stuffing them into a small bag by her side. There was no need for her to rush and use her devil fruit. Gardening was a leisurely hobby.

Usopp's yell from the deck reached the pair's ears, but he seemed only to be berating Zoro. Not a terribly uncommon scenario at all until Usopp's shrill screech broke the peace for certain before being drowned out with a "bang." The hatch? Nami stuck her head out of her grove and made a face. Robin shrugged and the gardening continued.

Robin suddenly had the feeling that she was being watched by something next to her. She didn't outwardly show it but this concerned her, not because someone was observing closely, but because she didn't recognize this particular set of eyes or aura. A strange observation, but for someone who had spent most of her life as a fugitive it was a built-up sixth sense, as if eating the Hana Hana no mi wasn't enough.

She sat back, storing the information for later. "Nami. Do you need help reaching?" Robin called, ignoring the dry leaves that snuck their way into the bag by someone's—or something else's—doing just inside her peripheral vision.

"Ah~ That would be helpful, Robin! Just finish your thing and I'll finish trimming as far as I can reach. I'll let you know when I'm done!"

Robin smiled as she watched a head of orange bob between the gaps in the leaves. The younger was always cheerful around her precious mikans.

"Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! I have your afternoon snack!"

"Sanji!" a whining voice ran up and down multiple octaves. "Where's MY snack?"

"Shithead!" There was the distinct sound of something connecting with Sanji's shoe and an indignant—and grumpy—growl from the main deck, as well as a less obvious stomach gurgle by Robin's side.

"Oi! What the hell was that for!" Zoro's indignant cry butted in.

"Don't touch this! This is specifically for ladies only."

Another whine split the air.

"Don't mind him, Luffy. He's just a wannabe-ladies-man."

"Ahh, is that so?" Luffy seemed to be listening carefully.

"Hah~? Like you're any good with the ladies, shitty marimo," came the scoff.

Zoro actually sounded smug—anything to one-up Sanji—"So says the supposed ladies-man who flirts with anything that has boobs and yet didn't get ogled at back at that last island."

Robin heard a slight giggle by the railing overlooking the lower deck and for a split second she saw a little girl leaning over the wood. When she blinked the vision was gone.

"Shitty marimo!" an enraged Sanji almost screamed. "That's because you somehow managed to botch your shirt and Chopper was lecturing you about taking better care of yourself so you don't _bleed to death_ randomly. Who wouldn't stare at a shithead getting lectured like a pussy by a talking reindeer." If the tone of his voice was anything to go by, Robin was sure he was clutching at straws. How interesting. She had to admit though, Zoro was a good piece of eye-candy. No need to list the reasons why, it was quite obvious.

"So, you agree that Chopper is more of a ladies-man than you are."

"How do you even reach that concl—No, Luffy! This is for the beautiful Nami-swan and Robin-chwan!"

"Yohohoho! So this is where the ladies were!" the resident skeleton emerged on deck and turned his gaze towards the garden. "Would you be so kind as to show me your–"

"Like HELL!" an annoyed navigator was suddenly by the rails and throwing a shovel down upon a laughing pervert.

While the banter continued on the lower decks—with Sanji alternating between yelling at Brook, batting away an insistent Luffy, and singing "mellorine"s towards the girls as he walked backwards up the stairs—Robin heard more than saw the much more audible gasp of alarm. Seems like their stowaway didn't want to be found. Light footsteps ran past the flowerbeds and the tree branches parted as the invisible little girl disappeared within the grove.

-~x~- in the kitchen -~x~-

Sanji opened the door to his domain yelling back at Luffy to stay out, called out to his loves one last time and closed the door behind him. He grinned as mouth-watering smells surrounded him once more and he hurried to his countertop to start dinner. Like usual, he was about to try something a bit new with the sea king the boys had caught earlier this morning.

Gutting the beast was always the messiest part and had to be done painstakingly. The last thing they needed was a whole trail of them tailing the ship. This one had had quite a bit of wreckage in its belly, but nothing Sanji couldn't handle. He _had_ found a few things of interest, including an odd tangle of what looked like an old chest and some rope, but he set them aside for later in a miscellaneous storage room of Franky's as dinnertime was quickly approaching.

He chopped up the vegetables and turned to work up a broth, but when he turned back around he noticed that some of the carrot slices were gone. He gave his surroundings a good once over, even looking under the counter to see if the veggies had simply fallen. When he stood back up, he saw that a date was gone from the fruit basket by his arm. He blinked rapidly, suddenly wary.

Boisterous yelling and music filtered in through the cracks of the wood, so Luffy wasn't the culprit this time. He picked his knife back up and began to chop up the garlic. A squeak. He moved on to the onions. A sniff. He moved on to the potatoes and heard a growl that could only come from a hungry stomach.

Maybe he was going crazy.

Even so, the cook reached into a cabinet and pulled out a cup and spoon. He felt ridiculous, but Sanji scooped the rest of the smoothie he had made for Nami and Robin out of the blender and into the little goblet. A rapidly-sliced apple gave it a nice touch. A little hesitantly, he set it down on the counter as far away from his chopping board as possible, and was about to resume his cooking when the door opened.

Zoro's indifferent mug emerged, letting out some of the wonderful smells and letting in the sounds of merriment from the main deck. He looked at the smoothie Sanji had set down.

Sanji was turning slightly pink from embarrassment. The marimo had caught him doing something so stupid—he was sore tempted to take back the smoothie and eat it himself, but refrained. Instead, he snapped at the lazy swordsman that it wasn't for him.

Zoro rolled his neck and settled on the bar-seat farthest from the door. This cut off the blonde's tirade and earned the swordsman a raised curly eyebrow. Zoro usually didn't make a point to have a conversation, or at least imply that he wanted to talk.

At first, Sanji merely waited for his crewmate to speak, continuing his preparation for dinner. The sizzling in the background kept the silence to the minimum, but Zoro wasn't saying anything and it was beginning to irritate the cook. And if Sanji cooked a little faster than usual he wasn't about to admit it, though this gave way to a furious tempo fueled by frustration.

A vein appeared on Sanji's temple and he turned towards the swordsman to mouth-off at him when a clink from the right cut through the hissing from behind him. Sanji whipped his head to where he had left the smoothie. Only an empty cup remained.

The cook blinked rapidly, completely bewildered. He turned to look at Zoro who looked annoyingly calm.

Zoro sighed at the cook's unverbalized question. "The kid's gonna need more than a drink. I was going to ask you for a plate of food but I wasn't sure how to do that without seeming completely out-of-it. It looks like you sort of figured it out though."

Sanji fought the scandalized expression off his face in favor of a blank one. This was Zoro of all people. First off, a drink was not the same as a smoothie but he wouldn't expect anything from a shitty marimo. Secondly, was this "kid" just invisible or a ghost? Was he malnourished or something? Sanji still didn't know what the hell was going on.

Zoro could tell that he had overstayed his welcome and stood. "Look, just the plate of food."

Sanji scowled and muttered a few insults but turned to pile a bit of something on a plate.

"Also, don't tell anyone just yet," Zoro hissed.

Sanji craned his neck so that he could eye a distracted Zoro. His eyes were watching something—or someone—move around the room, but he was still facing the cook. "Why so secretive?" Sanji murmured back. He finished heaping the plate with a full serving and set it on the counter in front of Zoro.

The swordsman seemed like he was debating with the wording of what he was about to say but in the end settled for, "I don't think the kid is…ready for nine people to give him attention at the same time."

Sanji allowed himself to uncharacteristically adopt a surprised expression. Was the shithead actually being considerate...? "Where's he now?"

Zoro jerked his thumb at the table, and Sanji almost yelled at him for being so unspecific when one of the chairs began to swivel. Sanji blinked and the chair stopped swerving when the kid (probably?) realized he…she? was being watched.

Zoro pushed on a knee with his hand and cracked his neck, grunted his probable thanks for the food and walked out with the steaming plate. Sanji forced himself to think that perhaps it was all just a dream, picked up his knife and resumed his cooking. He frowned thoughtfully as he stirred the contents of the large pot. Zoro had implied that this kid-ghost or whatever was hungry. Usually Sanji would have fed the person himself but somehow Zoro's uncharacteristic actions caused him to allow the swordsman to have his way. His shoulders winced slightly as he fleetingly remembered his experience with hunger, the first time he'd looked at himself in a mirror after getting off that god-forsaken ro–

The quiet opening of the door caused Sanji to raise his head. The waning afternoon light gave Sanji a glimpse of a spindly form glancing back at him. It jumped and pattered rapidly away. Sanji almost dropped his ladle.

He must be going crazy. For a moment he had seen himself as a child, starving and shriveled, and staring right back at him.

-~x~- back on deck -~x~-

The kitchen door slid shut behind Zoro. The first order of business would be sneaking the food past his captain. Luckily, Luffy was on the other side of the ship messing with the aquarium again. Hopefully, he wouldn't smell the food… Zoro ran down the steps, approached the ladder and swore.

Suddenly, half of him was netted in his infinitely-voracious captain and Zoro was stretching his arm as far away from the rubbery fingers as he could.

He could hear the others coming towards them, loudly wondering what had caught Luffy's attention this time. Of course. The sound of the kitchen door opening and closing was like an alarm to the captain. Zoro wouldn't have been surprised if Luffy had indeed managed to memorize the sound.

"Get OFF of me!"

"Zoro~ share with me~! No fair Sanji gave you food! Share! Captain's orders!"

In the end it was Sanji who emerged from the kitchen and came to his rescue, his excuse dangling lazily from between two fingers. "Oi, Luffy!" he puffed, "I have your snack in here."

Zoro blinked and Luffy had attached himself to Sanji, the rest of the boys in the crew close behind. Usopp ran by wearing…Zoro didn't want to question it. Superstition would never work anyway, not in this crew it wouldn't. The Strawhats were like magnets for trouble.

The skeleton walked round the corner last, his violin and bow in hand. He took note of the child by the railing who had now turned to stare at the mini mob barreling into the cook's domain, but simply went below decks to put his instrument away.

Zoro finally reached the crow's nest and set the plate of steaming food on the floor. A quick glance out the window told him that the child was now staring up at the suspended weight room and Zoro quickly got back to his training. The kid would make it upwards eventually if he was as hungry as Zoro thought he looked.

Moments passed as Zoro lifted weights. He certainly didn't have to wait long for the ghost child to arrive. The kid sat before the food and kept eyeing first Zoro, then the food, back and forth.

Zoro purposefully kept his eyes closed as the small form debated whether or not to eat the food. "I didn't get it for myself."

It came out a little gruffer than he had intended, but he wasn't about to apologize either. The kid was already digging in.

The plate was empty in minutes and Zoro continued to lift his monstrous weights, under the awed gaze of the little boy. And if Zoro pumped the iron a little more vigorously than usual he wasn't about to admit it. The child grew tired of sitting however, and began cautiously inching around the room, first looking out the windows and then—growing more courageous—hesitantly poking at the various weights laying around the room. Usually Zoro didn't let just anyone touch his weights, but the kid wasn't trying to pick them up– "Oi, don't hurt yourself."

The kid had tried to pick up the smallest weight.

About an hour had passed by the time Zoro decided that he had had enough with the weights. He had been working out all morning before lunch, so perhaps some meditation was in order. Except, he had something else to worry about.

Seeing that Zoro's weights were now put away, the kid began inching his way curiously towards the relaxed swordsman. Eventually the child could have reached out and touched Zoro if he wanted to, but he instead sat down in front of the swordsman.

"T-thank you for the food."

Zoro didn't move a muscle, only murmured that the cook was the one to be thanked.

A comfortable silence washed over the two and the little boy was about to nod off when a faint "Yohohohoho!" was heard just outside the hatch and–

Zoro inhaled slowly but spat some of it back out when a small body collided with his. "O-oi! What the hell!"

Brook wasn't sure if Zoro was talking to him or the kid scrambling all over the swordsman. Maybe both.

"Stop it!" Zoro ground out, though he didn't try very hard to pry off the wriggling and bony body. "He won't do anything to you!" He gave a dry look at the skeleton watching silently. "You can see him, can't you?"

It was more of a statement than a question. Brook gave the younger man the affirmative, "Yes, probably because of the power of the Yomi Yomi no mi. But the question is, what is he doing here?"

Zoro felt the form now behind him stiffen slightly.

Brook took a seat around the edge of the crow's nest in an attempt to make himself look less intimidating. "It does not matter to Luffy-san how you got on this ship so much as why, or whether or not you are a boy or a girl. No one is treated differently here because of their dreams or who they are."

"Relax already." Zoro rolled his eyes and finally pried the arms off his neck.

"I…I ate a devil's fruit!" the boy burst out. "I think..."

"You think?" The ghost kid earned himself a raised eyebrow.

Brook tilted his head in what might have been confusion. "It allows you to change your gender and become invisible? If I remember correctly, you were a girl when you were gardening next to Robin-san."

"N…Not exactly…" the boy had more-or-less calmed and was now settled half in Zoro's lap. "My appearance changes depending on what other people think they see, and how I want to perceive myself."

"So, which are you: boy or girl?"

"…I don't know."

There was an awkward pause at this revelation. "How do you not know?"

"I forget. I don't know how I got here," the child's nose began running.

Zoro raised an eyebrow as he once more pried the boy's arms off of him and set him on the floorboards. "Then when was the last time you ate before what you had just today?"

"I...I don't know...maybe when I ate the devil fruit? 'M...really tired..." the kid began to slump.

"Is he...?" Brook spoke up softly.

"Yeah. He's asleep." Zoro sighed and, with more care than most thought him capable of, gently scooped the little visage into his arms. "I'll go find Chopper."

* * *

 **A/N:** I have a lot of One Piece shorts in line...but I just can't seem to finish any of them. Found this buried in a folder. Gonna touch it up and finally finish it for you guys :) I hope to complete this two-(three?)-chapter story before September, so stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks to those showing interest in this story, and for waiting patiently! ( _italics = thoughts, in reference to the name of a ship, occasionally verbal emphasis in place of_ CAPS)

* * *

 _recap:_

"…I don't know."

There was an awkward pause at this revelation. "How do you not know?"

"I forget. I don't know how I got here," the child's nose began running.

Zoro raised an eyebrow as he once more pried the boy's arms off of him and set him on the floorboards. "Then when was the last time you ate before what you had just today?"

"I...I don't know...maybe when I ate the devil fruit? 'M...really tired..." the kid began to slump.

"Is he...?" Brook spoke up softly.

"Yeah. He's asleep." Zoro sighed and, with more care than most thought him capable of, gently scooped the little visage into his arms. "I'll go find Chopper."

* * *

Finding Chopper was easy. Getting him away from Usopp and Luffy was more difficult. Brook was sent out to fetch him while Zoro waited in the infirmary. After tucking the kid under the covers of the sickbed, the swordsman kicked back against the wall as thoughts sifted through his head. Of the nine of them, five of them were aware and it seemed like Brook and himself knew the most. Robin was the smartest, so she'd need to be clued in as soon as possible. It wouldn't surprise him if she was already aware of what was going on. Briefly considering how was he going to approach Luffy about this, Zoro stopped. His captain always had a way of finding things without anybody wanting him to, so it was no use worrying about it.

Just as his patience was running thin, Brook's distinct laughter came closer and the door opened as a concerned Chopper scurried inside. Zoro raised an eyebrow at the outfit, but recognized it as Usopp's superstitious influence.

"Eh!" The doctor exclaimed, his cross amulet swinging round his neck, "Zoro, what are you doing in here?"

Brook tipped his hat, "I told Chopper-san that I wanted to talk to him about a few things."

Zoro nodded his head in thanks and jerked his thumb over to the cot, "Chopper, tell me what you see."

The little reindeer scrunched his nose as he walked over to stand by the bedside. There was an indent. Could...could it be...? "A _ghost!?_ " Instantly, he backtracked and slammed against the wall.

Zoro sighed. He had hoped that Chopper would be able to see the ghost kid without prompting, but maybe that was too much to expect. "Chopper," he got the doctor's attention, "It's not a ghost."

A sigh of relief. "Oh, it's not? Then what is it?"

"It's a kid. Says he ate a devil fruit that changes the way he looks, but that's all we got out of him before he fell asleep."

Chopper was all business now. "Tell me what you know."

-~x~- on deck -~x~-

"I'm bored~"

"Luffy," Usopp protested, "we've only been fishing for two minutes."

"I want to catch a treasure chest!"

"Like we're going to catch one of those with fishing lines," Usopp muttered under his breath.

"And then I'll put it in the fish tank like the aquarium that Fish- _Ossan_ had!"

 _Only if Nami doesn't take it from you first_ , Usopp thought. The sound of the waves sloshing against the ship was peaceful, but was soon broken once more.

"I'm hungry..."

"We just ate!" Well, boredom and hunger were probably interchangeable for Luffy. "What do you think we're doing then, sitting with our lines out?" The only response he got was more whining about treasure chests, so Usopp tuned it out in favor of the waves.

A _super_ yell came faintly from the other end of the ship and Luffy's whining took on a different octave. "Why does Franky get to have all the fun?"

"Isn't he just making some repairs?" The cook appeared behind them, a cigarette clenched between his teeth.

"Sanji!" Usopp started. "When did you get here?"

Luffy's lips puckered like a fish, "That's so much more fun than fishing. Nothing's even biting. I'd rather watch him hammer stuff."

"But he's just fixing a hinge in the girls' room."

"Girls' room?" Sanji echoed, a disgusting look pasted on his face.

Usopp narrowed his eyes at the lecherous cook, "Just go back and finish making dinner."

At the mention of food, Luffy began pestering Sanji for dinner. He was about to get a shoe in his face when Robin appeared on deck with a book tucked in an arm.

"Robin-chwan!" Sanji crooned and squiggled around. "Not to worry, I'll shut up these shitheads so you can read in peace," he glared at Luffy and Usopp who blew him raspberries.

The archeologist laughed lightly, "Thank you, Cook-san, but that won't be necessary."

Usopp watched her smile her secret smile and walk into the infirmary. "Hey, has Brook come out of there yet? I wonder why Robin joined them."

Luffy stopped making noise and just stared out to sea. Behind him, the cook stiffened and the sniper stared at him warily.

"Yosh!" Luffy brightened. "Let's go barge in and see for ourselves!"

-~x~- in the infirmary -~x~-

"Then...you two can see him, right?" Chopper looked between Brook and Zoro.

"Yeah, something like that."

"I can see him now, but it wasn't until you guys described him a little more. He looks better already now that you got some food in him..." he held a small hoof to his chin.

A soft knock on the door startled them, but they relaxed when the resident archeologist slipped inside the room. "I believe I can be of some help," Robin closed the door softly behind her. "I also caught sight of this ghost child."

"You did too?" Chopper exclaimed. "So cool!"

"But there is something that I don't understand. I saw a girl. Moreover, she wasn't emaciated though I did hear her stomach while she was close-by."

"The child doesn't even know what it is," Brook managed to look concerned though he had no face.

"Beats me," Zoro muttered.

"Perhaps what is most important," Robin suggested, "is the timing with which this mystery person appeared. None of us saw it until today this afternoon. We left the last island a day and a half ago, so I highly doubt that this occurrence was caused by us bringing a foreign object from that fishing island onto the Sunny."

"Unless that witch smuggled something in without us knowing."

Robin giggled. "I can attest to the fact that Miss Navigator didn't smuggle anything onto the ship...since the last island."

Nami may be a clever thief that could steal things without anyone the wiser, but nobody doubted Robin's information. If Nami had taken anything, Robin would be the first to know whether that beli-hoarder said anything or not.

"Let's just hope that things stay quiet around here and that the patient wakes up soon," Chopper commented.

 _Is there even a point in hoping,_ Zoro thought as the muffled sounds of sandals slapping on the deck got closer.

With a yell, their captain barged through the door, Usopp and Sanji close behind. He blinked owlishly at all the occupants in the room, first at Chopper and Brook, then Robin, then Zoro. Zoro looked at Sanji, who merely shrugged, before meeting his captain's eyes. The cook was curious as to the condition of the ghost kid as well and it wasn't like anyone had any reigns on Luffy.

Usopp, still decked out partially in his ghost-be-gone attire, was the one to voice his confusion, "What are you guys doing?"

Any answer was cut off by an irate and feminine shriek outside, "Why is no one at the helm?"

"Ah," Brook stood straighter.

"That was your job, wasn't it?" Usopp's eyes drooped.

"Not to worry," Robin smiled, "I've been keeping an eye or two out, so we aren't off-course according to the log-pose."

"Out, out. Out! We're headed straight into a storm, you idiots! Franky, can you lead us around?"

"Ow!" Franky jogged to get to the helm, his body making a clunking noise as he went. "I'm on it!"

Robin blinked. She hadn't noticed any telltale signs of a storm, but she would leave such a thing to the professional. Almost as one, the other Strawhats streamed out of the infirmary and did as their navigator instructed.

Sanji crooned as he went, "Nami-swan is so beautiful even when she's—"

"Hurry up!" Nami cut him off, then muttered under her breath, "What were they all doing in there anyway?"

Zoro saw Chopper hesitate to leave. Of course Chopper would want to stay with the patient, but the people on the last island had warned them that the storms around here were extremely dangerous. They might need as many hands on deck as possible.

Nami's voice was now barely audible over the wind, "Where's Chopper? I need him on the rigging like last time!"

The reindeer was frozen in his chair, torn between his responsibility as their _nakama_ and his responsibility as a doctor. The wind was beginning to blow so hard that it was becoming difficult to see and ominous clouds were coming together out of seemingly nothing and nowhere. Luffy somehow noticed all this even with his usual happy-go-lucky mentality—unshakeable even within the throes of a major Grand Line storm—and yelled, "Chopper, you do what you need to do!"

Zoro smiled to himself and threw himself into the elements, gladly sharing Chopper's job with the others. His grin quickly turned into a scowl, however, as he almost immediately had to grab a fistful of Luffy's shirt before the idiot-Captain fell overboard.

Nami bit her lip. At this point, they may be better off with a Coup de Burst. But she wasn't sure she should make that call just yet.

While chaos reigned outside, Chopper sat quietly in the infirmary. The room rocked back and forth and the creaking of the wood seemed deafening. Franky had told them that such noise was normal even on a super new ship made of Adam's wood, but the sound put Chopper's nerves on edge. The patient didn't seem to react at all, which, in a way, was extremely relieving. But the doctor was beginning to worry that the ghost kid would never wake up.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Chopper almost didn't hear Usopp's screaming that they needed him. With one last hesitation, the reindeer cast a concerned glance at the bump in the bedsheets before transforming from Brain Point to Heavy Point. He was out the door in no time.

The level of noise and the chill in the wind that entered the room when Chopper left replaced the cozy temperature that was still left from the summer island weather. The figure underneath the bedsheets began to move, woken by the unpleasant feeling. A small gasp and the child was sitting up. The _Thousand Sunny_ was still swaying alarmingly and the room was filled with the sounds of clinking glass bottles, which were safely tucked away in all manner of compartments. Most alarming, was the fact that the child discovered that the room was very empty.

With a yelp, it tumbled to the floor, tangled in the sheets. Quickly extracting itself, the child yanked open the door and found itself knocked onto its hands and knees. Outside there was very little light and the rain hurt as it thundered down on the deck in all directions as dictated by the fickle wind.

At this point, Franky was losing control of the rudder. "Sis!" He called out to Nami, "I'm going down below. This calls for a Coup de Burst!"

Nami nodded, "Go! I'll take care of the wheel. Everyone! Hold onto something! We're about to go flying!"

Brook was hanging off the rigging, too far away from the deck. But for a skeleton with no eyes, he somehow spotted their stowaway through the rain, which was quickly becoming hail. None of the others would likely see the child, and that dwindled down the numbers of potential rescuers to him and Zoro. Hoping that the swordsman could hear him—though he had no voice box, yohohoho!—he hollered Zoro's name.

"Huh?" Zoro paused while looking for something to hold onto. Shading his eyes from the hail and seawater, he saw a hazy vision of Brook clinging to the mast with just his legs and flailing his arms around wildly. "What is that crazy skeleton doing..."

"Everybody strapped down?" Franky's voice rang loud in a spare moment when the wind dwindled. "Coup...de..."

A strangled noise left Zoro's throat as he realized what Brook was trying to tell him. The kid was on its hands and knees outside, seemingly oblivious to everything going on around it. Of course it wouldn't know what was coming, so it wouldn't try to hold onto anything.

Nami screamed at Zoro to stop running and grab onto the railing as Franky cried out and pulled the lever.

"Burst!"

The inertia of the blast flattened everyone. Luffy, of course, was having a great time as he flailed midair while Sanji made threats to flambé him. Usopp would have joined in, but he was in the belly of the Sunny with Franky. Brook watched, alarmed, as Zoro was slammed into the wall outside the infirmary. Thankfully, Robin was well-secured and able to help with her disembodied limbs. Zoro was berated as well by Nami who more heard than saw the crash.

The Coup de Burst carried them to calmer seas. The weather wasn't as nice, but at least they were out of that super storm, Franky commented. He and Usopp climbed out onto the grassy lawn, almost tripping over a frantic Chopper who made a beeline for Zoro. The swordsman was rubbing the back of his head, slowly righting himself.

Nami frowned at Chopper, "I think he hit his head harder than usual. He was acting weird just before the Coup de Burst and he's talking to himself!"

At first, Chopper was inclined to believe her. But then he remembered that the ghost child was often hard to see. This seemed to be confirmed by the strange wrinkling of Zoro's shirt. Little by little, Chopper was able to see a vague representation of it clinging to Zoro for dear life.

Luffy stretched and landed with a soft thud by the growing crowd. There was a faint buzz of tension in the air as he stood over Zoro, looking him up and down. Nami stuttered a bit as her eyes flicked to back and forth, but relaxed a bit when Sanji shook his head slightly.

After what seemed like minutes though only a few seconds, Luffy squatted down and stared with a mischievous grin on his face. Such a simple movement made the shoulders around him relax. With his finger Luffy pointed and asked, "Who's that?" and began poking.

A voice protested and eyes widened as Zoro's shirt began to move by itself.

"Zoro's shirt is possessed!" Usopp shrieked, and earned a bump from Sanji who told him to, "Shut up!"

"Whatever it is, it's _cool_!" Luffy laughed.

"What? What? What's going on?" Nami stared.

Robin smiled and filled everyone in on what had been discussed in the infirmary. By the time she was through, all the Strawhats could see the same visage of a little boy in a simple hoodie and boots. It was obvious that his body wasn't completely tangible as theirs were, but it was better than seeing nothing.

Luffy immediately dragged the kid off for a game of tag. They were eagerly followed by Chopper who wished to observe more, and a less than eager Usopp who was only half-convinced that there were no ghosts. Brook was sent back to the helm as punishment for his earlier negligence, and the rest of the crew sat around the dinner table while Sanji finished dinner.

"So..." Nami thought aloud, "what are we going to do now? We can't possibly keep him aboard a pirate ship. Even if his appearance changes, it's pretty clear that he's young. He doesn't look like he can fight, and we're not even sure that he's real!"

Franky hummed loudly, "Sis has a point. There's no way we can keep him aboard _Sunny,_ but we can't just drop him if he doesn't...remember his past at all... Excuse me, there's just some dust in my eye."

Zoro contributed with a sigh, "And of course our Captain is not going to want to give him up so easily."

"In my experience," Robin leaned on her hand, "the answer will appear shortly, maybe even before we arrive at the next island. Chopper still needs to complete a proper diagnosis and that includes the documentation of verbal answers to clinical questions."

"I guess that's that," Nami fingered the spot on her wrist where the log pose usually was—Brook had it at the moment. "But we took a slight detour because of that storm. The next island is still about a week away... For now, let's just eat. We all worked hard in that ridiculous storm earlier."

"As you wish, Nami-swan!" came Sanji's heart-filled interjection.

Almost as if on cue, Luffy tramped in with the rest of their _nakama_ and the ghost child, all breathless and rosy-cheeked from their latest venture. "FOOD!" he punched the air.

-~x~- [still] in the kitchen -~x~-

The clattering of dishes was now the only sound in the mess. Dinner had been a success at the very least and Sanji's mind was already going through his ingredients for tomorrow's combinations. A smile tugged at his lips. It still impressed him how drastically the noise level changed in his domain. Back on the Baratie the only quiet time in the kitchen was in the dead of night when no one was around.

Sanji was just glad that 'Ghost-Kid', as he was formerly dubbed during playtime with Luffy, was beginning to warm up to everyone. Brook was usually the hardest to get used to, but it seemed that the talking skeleton was not considered to be a scary phenomenon. Even Luffy's ability to stretch didn't seem to phase him. During dinner, the kid was initially startled by the raucous eating frenzy, but little by little, his laughs became louder and longer. There was something somehow very sad about the sound though, and the cook couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He sighed. Time for a smoke. Sanji dried his hands quickly, pulled out a cigarette and went towards the railing overlooking the lawn. He had just stepped outside the kitchen when something bumped into his leg. A little ways away, Usopp was chasing Chopper as Luffy whined to be included. _It was tag, then._

Looking down, Sanji saw Ghost-Kid nervously scooting around him. He sighed and offered a rare, broad smile, "Be careful."

The boy blinked and hesitantly started running again, surprised perhaps, and Sanji was beginning to feel a little embarrassed. Suddenly, Ghost-Kid stopped in his tracks and turned back to face the cook, "T-thank you for the food earlier!"

At that moment he was spotted by Luffy who was apparently now 'it', and was chased around and out of sight. _That shitty brat_ , Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke. He smiled slightly to himself as he leaned on the railing and watched the antics of his younger crewmates. Later on, he didn't feel so charmed when it was decided that Ghost-Kid would sleep with the women.

* * *

-~x~- on deck -~x~-

Usopp grinned to himself as he sat with his fishing line out. Luffy, as usual, was jittery and impatient...and still hoping for a treasure chest of all things. But that nuisance wasn't why he was smiling. Ghost-Kid was currently in Chopper's office doing official-sounding doctor stuff, but afterwards they had promised a tour of the _Thousand Sunny_! Franky would have joined, but he claimed to have some secret projects to work on. With a wink, the cyborg delegated Usopp and Luffy as his honorary stand-ins.

Usopp thought it a bit perplexing, this whole situation. The boy had shown up quite suddenly last afternoon. At first, no one could see him it seemed—except for Zoro and Brook, who Usopp suspected had some manner of connections to the spirit world—and the longer they knew Ghost-Kid, the more real he seemed. Now it took a bit of conscious blinking to remember that, whatever he was, Ghost-Kid was not like the rest of them...not that that ever mattered to Luffy.

There was another thing. When Ghost-Kid was smiling and happy, everything seemed right with the world, and the reverse was true. There was just a sort of uneasiness Usopp felt in his gut, but that feeling was also different from the one he experienced when he heard the kid's laugh. It was the most realistic part of Ghost-Kid. It was a tinkling laugh and it bothered Usopp a little, but for what reason he couldn't tell yet. Well, what was important was that the ghost kid was comfortable.

It had only been about an hour since Ghost-Kid and Chopper had entered the infirmary, but it was probably for the best. It seemed that the kid tired very easily. After all, it couldn't be helped that the Great Captain Usopp had already become accustomed to Luffy's high-energy play. Usopp laughed to himself as he thought he should tease Zoro about nap-time with their newest friend.

"Bleghhh. Nothing's biting!" Luffy swayed side to side. "How boring..."

Usopp sighed but agreed, "At least while we were around that fishing island there was plenty of stuff to catch." Then, he muttered to himself, "Although I personally prefer not to run into quite so many sea kings."

"But they sure taste great, Ahahaha-ahaha!"

Both fishermen turned at the sound of the infirmary door opening. They automatically brightened as an excited Ghost-Kid ran towards them. "Alright!" Usopp jumped atop his seat and struck a pose. "The beginning of the grand tour begins NOW!" Luffy jumped up and yelled in anticipation as well.

Chopper waved at them from the upper story, "I'll join you guys later! There's a few more things I need to write down but I'll be there soon!" The little reindeer scampered back inside as the threesome began running around the upper decks of the _Thousand Sunny_.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry about the lateness. I originally kept writing the story out, but I realized that it would be best to break up the story here. I had predicted a three-chapter story, but there is a chance that it will evolve into a four-chapter fanfic. As you might suspect, this will not be finished before September, unfortunately. Ahahaha! I'll update as soon as I can!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry!

* * *

 _recap:_

It had only been about an hour since Ghost-Kid and Chopper had entered the infirmary, but it was probably for the best. It seemed that the kid tired very easily. After all, it couldn't be helped that the Great Captain Usopp had already become accustomed to Luffy's high-energy play. Usopp laughed to himself as he thought he should tease Zoro about nap-time with their newest friend.

"Bleghhh. Nothing's biting!" Luffy swayed side to side. "How boring..."

Usopp sighed but agreed, "At least while we were around that fishing island there was plenty of stuff to catch." Then, he muttered to himself, "Although I personally prefer not to run into quite so many sea kings."

"But they sure taste great, Ahahaha-ahaha!"

Both fishermen turned at the sound of the infirmary door opening. They automatically brightened as an excited Ghost-Kid ran towards them. "Alright!" Usopp jumped atop his seat and struck a pose. "The beginning of the grand tour begins NOW!" Luffy jumped up and yelled in anticipation as well.

Chopper waved at them from the upper story, "I'll join you guys later! There's a few more things I need to write down but I'll be there soon!" The little reindeer scampered back inside as the threesome began running around the upper decks of the _Thousand Sunny_.

* * *

"This is 'Usopp's Factory Branch Office'!" Usopp proudly strutted around the small platform as Luffy told Ghost-Kid about all the secret and mystery things Usopp made—and fireworks!

"And this is Robin's flower garden. It's still quite new, but the plants are growing quickly. Could it be that Robin has a green thumb?"

Robin, who was resting nearby, laughed lightly and turned a page in her book, "Who knows?"

"Whatever you do," Luffy turned surprisingly solemn, "do not touch Nami's mikan trees. She will kill you!" Usopp nodded gravely besides him.

Ghost-Kid thought that was strange since he didn't think the orange-haired girl was so inclined to violence, but he didn't have time to think about it as he was then shoved into the observation room. Brook was already there, and led them through a song and dance.

He had already seen many of the rooms before, but Ghost-Kid decided that it was so much more fun going with Luffy and Usopp. Now that he knew that the people on the _Thousand Sunny_ were not bad people, the place didn't seem so foreign and scary. And the more he saw, the more impressed he was with the amount of thought that had gone into every room. He hadn't spent much time with Franky yet, but he liked the strange robot-human more and more.

However, his favorite room had to be the aquarium. When he was initially wandering around, he had thought that it seemed so lonely and depressing. But with Luffy and Usopp with him, he was instead hit with a wave of nostalgia, misery, and joyful connection. Ghost-Kid didn't know why, but he felt that something was always on the tip of his tongue while he stared at the coral and fish. He was truthfully a bit relieved when he was dragged elsewhere.

They had just covered the lawn when Zoro leapt down from the crow's nest. Standing slowly, he cracked his neck and asked, "Have you shown him everything above deck?"

Remembering the fun they'd had only minutes ago staring at the swordsman in his 'natural habitat,' as Usopp coined it, they grinned at the slightly annoyed Zoro. "Of course!" Luffy shouted. "And now we're going to show him everything under the lawn!"

Zoro smiled back, but his brows furrowed when he noticed how pale the kid was beginning to look. "Oi. Are you sure you're okay to be running around? Maybe you should take a break."

"What do you mean, 'take a break'? We've only been running around for like twenty minutes!"

Everyone turned at the sound of Sanji's voice, "For someone who might be sick or low energy, twenty minutes with you two hyperactive idiots would make anyone collapse of exhaustion." The cook was leaning on the railway, probably taking a break for a smoke. He grinned around his cigarette at Ghost-Kid, "Hey, how about a snack? _For ladies and guests only!_ " Sanji snapped and glared pointedly at a protesting captain and sniper.

Chopper rushed out of the infirmary and looked down at the people on the lawn. "Are you tired already? Maybe a rest will be good." He had overheard the conversation from his desk.

Zoro followed a hesitant, but tired looking Ghost-Kid up the stairs to the kitchen while Chopper rushed to his patient. Luffy and Usopp exchanged verbal spat with the ever-stubborn Sanji.

"You're such a stinkin' miser!" Luffy pouted.

Usopp chimed in, "Yeah! Since you're being like that, we'll just go on the tour ourselves! Come on, Luffy. Let's see what Franky is up to."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the cook rolled his eyes at the backs of his whiney comrades as they disappeared down the hatch. He kindly led the way into his domain, followed by Ghost-Kid, Chopper, and Zoro.

Ghost-Kid walked into the kitchen feeling down. He wasn't good enough to keep up with his new friends. While Chopper and Sanji discussed the nutritious content of the snack, Zoro noticed this minor bout of depression. "Oi." He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the kid. "It'll get loud enough in a few minutes." Then he yawned obnoxiously loudly, catching the attention of his crewmates. They watched him settle in the corner for a nap.

Sanji rolled his eyes and set down a glass on the countertop. Ghost-Kid watched him as he pranced out the door, a tray in hand with drinks for the ladies. He still wasn't used to the cook's mood-swings.

Chopper slurped up his own drink, "It's a fruit smoothie, but it has a lot of other things in it that are good for you. Don't worry though! It tastes like strawberries!"

Before he knew it, Ghost-Kid had devoured the entire glass by the time Sanji had returned. Sanji grinned as he noted the light dancing in the boy's eyes and the hint of smoothie that had yet to be wiped off his mouth. "Would you like more?"

"But...but what about Luffy and Usopp?"

"They'll be here soon. I'm surprised they aren't here already." the cook reasoned. "Besides, the color has returned to your face—well..." _what color there was to begin with,_ "nevermind."

Chopper piped up, "Eventually we're going to have to figure out what brought you to us and if we can help beyond what we've already done. But most importantly we want you to be well and have fun with us!"

Two very loud shadows suddenly ran past the kitchen. Usopp and Luffy had apparently found something of interest outside and were back to their usual spirits.

Ghost-Kid smiled shyly, then suddenly became nervous again. "W–what about Zoro?"

Sanji's eyes narrowed slightly, "That shithead?"

The three of them turned to look at the swordsman against the wall. A particularly loud snore ripped through the air.

"Tch." Sanji scoffed. "Trust me, he'll wake up if he wants some." He turned to pour Ghost-Kid some more of the smoothie, pretending not to hear Chopper whisper to the boy that somehow there was always extra for Luffy and Usopp anyway. Suddenly, Chopper emitted a high-pitched cry. Sanji spun around just in time to see what appeared to be the lifeless body of the Ghost-Kid slumping onto the floor.

-~x~- in Franky's workshop -~x~-

Franky whistled to himself as he paused in his work to survey his surroundings. Boards, nails, and tools of all sorts were strewn randomly about the room. But that was okay because he'd already asked Usopp-bro for permission to take up a little of the sniper's side of the room for this project. It made organizing things easier.

It wasn't that he had a particular plan or anything, but if Ghost-Kid was going to stay with them for a while, Franky reasoned that the little bro deserved some things of his own. That, and he was still working on some of the surprises for the rest of the crew. Therefore, he needed to take careful stock of his inventory.

The sound of stampeding elephants preceded the entrance of Luffy and Usopp. Franky tensed slightly, but relaxed. The most secret stuff was in a different room, so it wasn't a problem. "Yo! What are you two doing down here?"

"We were touring the ship with Ghost-Kid but he got tired too quick and Sanji wouldn't give us snack!" Luffy smacked his sandaled foot down on the floorboards. "Stingy!"

Usopp sighed dramatically, agreeing with their captain before brightening. "Well!" he looked around, "I see what you meant by taking up a part of my side."

"Don't worry, bro!" Franky struck a pose, "Your space will be good as new before dinner. I'm just taking mental stock of what I've got so far. I was looking for things I could use for the Ghost-bro if he's gonna stick around longer."

"Oh, I see!" Luffy laughed. "I like 'im. When he feels better I'll ask him to join my–"

"Luffy!" Usopp protested. "Anyway," he looked round the room, "Oh? What's this?" He picked up a partially carved-in block of wood.

Franky started to sweat. He'd forgotten about that piece. It was just a scrap that he'd practiced on and decided to discard, but it still resembled the horn of the _Going Merry_. He didn't expect Luffy, who treated everything not immediately understandable like a mystery, to figure it out, but Usopp was different.

"Heyy..." he drawled, doing his best to appear calm, "I'm about to move a lot of stuff around so...you guys should check out the storage closet and see if you find anything you like!" _If I tell them not to go through the Soldier Dock system, they'll probably sneak in anyway,_ he thought.

There were many various closets Franky had tucked away in the walls of the _Thousand Sunny,_ but Usopp knew which closet the cyborg was talking about. Whenever they had scraps they weren't working on anymore, they tucked them away in there. It was also a place where they kept various, miscellaneous objects they'd come across in their adventures—of course, only the ones Nami didn't deem valuable.

When the two ran off, Franky snatched up the scrap and hid it in a corner. He wiped his forehead. It had been a close one. Hearing sudden yelling, he walked to where the boys were. "Did you find something you like?" he poked his head in.

"It's a TREASURE CHEST!" Luffy was practically screaming with excitement. "Hey, hey, Franky! Can we have this? Can we put it in the aquarium?"

It was indeed a chest of some sort. But it was all beat up and looked about to fall to pieces. The cyborg scratched his face, "Sure. I didn't leave it in there though."

"Yes!" Usopp scampered after Luffy. With a slam, the hatch had closed and the belly was quiet once more.

"Huh." Franky wondered aloud. Bending down, he picked up a sliver of wood that had fallen from the chest. He peered at it closely, turning it this way and that. His eyes widened, "This is...!"

-~x~- on deck -~x~-

"Yahoo!" Luffy and Usopp emerged into the sunlight totally psyched up. "Treasure chest! Treasure chest, fish tank!"

Together the two raced off past the kitchen to the back of the _Thousand Sunny._ Laughing uproariously, they threw back the wooden panel covering the aquarium's lid and were about to toss the treasure chest in when Usopp yelled and struck a thinking pose, "Wait! This chest is so flimsy it might break if we throw it in. Let's ease it in slowly!"

Luffy liked this idea very much and together they crouched on the deck and gently lowered the rickety treasure chest as far as they could reach—without Luffy keeling in too—and they watched its murky form blur until they couldn't see it anymore. Then they ran for the Aquarium Bar. Eagerly they pressed their noses against the glass and looked for their precious chest. There it was! Nestled amongst the coral. They cheered and congratulated one another, making a ruckus only they knew how to make. Then they fell into a contented silence as they admired the way the chest completed their aquarium.

Their sudden pause in noisemaking alerted them to the ruckus going on upstairs. They could hear their crewmates yelling, the pitter patter of Chopper's hooves, and doors slamming.

"What's going on?" Usopp wondered aloud and gave Luffy a concerned look.

"Let's go see!" Luffy bounded out and up the stairs with Usopp close behind.

The first thing they noticed when they emerged into the sunlight and started running up the stairs was the door to Chopper's office. It was swinging loosely in the wind, which meant that Chopper had come and gone in such a hurry that he'd forgotten to shut the door. Second, there was no one in sight on deck.

Bursting in the kitchen, they were met with a teary-eyed Chopper and an anxious Nami cradling the Ghost-Kid in her arms. Sanji and Zoro stood by, more focused on glaring at each other despite the atmosphere. Robin looked as if she was thinking very hard, her arm cradled in the other and her finger resting on her chin.

"What...happened?" Usopp grabbed his head between his hands. "He was fine just a second ago!"

"Is he dead?" Luffy's sandals slapped the floorboards as he rushed towards Ghost-Kid. His cheek was met by Nami's fist when he peered into Ghost-Kid's face.

"Too close!" she shrieked, but she recovered and went back to cradling the boy. "He can't be. He's still breathing, but barely."

"Chopper! Can you fix him?" Luffy looked to the reindeer.

Through his watery eyes, Chopper shook his head, "I ran to my office to grab anything I could think of, but besides checking for his vitals, I can't use my equipment like I could on a normal human." Scattered around the doctor was an assortment of small medical equipment. "Before, my instruments could pick up data, but now they won't react to him at all!" he wailed.

At this moment, Brook and Franky entered the kitchen. "Usopp, Luffy, that old chest you took—" Immediately, the cyborg exclaimed, "Ow!" and pushed up his sunglasses. "What's going on in here?"

Brook quietly watched as the rundown was given to them as well. That was odd of him, but he looked to be thinking hard as well as he tapped his cane rhythmically against his polished dress shoes.

"Should we begin by moving him to the infirmary?" Robin suggested.

A dejected Chopper nodded and transformed into human-point to carefully carry Ghost-Kid out the door.

Now that Nami's lap was free, she turned to Franky with overly large eyes, "What is this you said about an old chest?"

"Oi!" Zoro and Usopp yelled.

"Don't yell at Nami-san!" Sanji stepped forward threateningly.

"You have to admit though, now is not the time," Usopp muttered. "Besides, it's just an old chest from the closet that was about to fall apart anyway. Nothing special."

"What do you mean, 'nothing special'?" Luffy protested, but everyone ignored his launch into an elaborate rant about the wonders of treasure chests.

"Oh," Nami's lips formed an 'o' and she looked less interested. "Why did you get me all excited for that? Couldn't you have just said that in the beginning?"

"My apologies, Nami-swan," Sanji crooned. "I found it in the stomach of a deep sea fish a few days ago and left it in one of Franky's closets. If I had known you'd want to look at it I would have left it on a pedestal just for yo—"

"Enough!" Usopp interrupted and waved his arms wildly. "Can't you see there are more important things to worry about?"

"On the contrary," Robin lifted her chin as everyone turned to her expectantly. "What is it that you were going to ask them about this old chest?"

Brook nodded, "I also would like to know."

Franky blinked as the rest exchanged confused looks. Was the chest somehow important? "Well..." he began, "I noticed when these two ran off with the chest, it was so rickety it had shed a few slivers onto the floor." He stretched his hand out and dropped a small piece of wood into hers. "I noticed that it was—"

"Adam's Wood!" Robin exclaimed.

"—and rather old too," Franky completed his sentence. "And look at this," he held up his other hand. "I don't know what kind of wood this is from experience, but if I had to guess, I'd guess it was of a similar type to Adam's Wood but slightly different. Whoever made that chest took special care to make it well."

Brook noted, "And to have lasted all this time in the belly of a deep sea fish it must be barely held together..." Then he added, "Though I am one who counts myself as barely held together."

"Alright...but what has that got to do with Ghost-Kid losing consciousness?" Zoro grumbled.

"Sanji-san?" Robin turned towards an eager cook. "When did you say you caught that fish?"

"A few days ago!" he exclaimed.

"That was...we were just leaving the last island and encountered some of the monsters the locals warned us about," Nami thought aloud.

"That means we were still in the area immediately around the island, and it was about that time that Ghost-Kid appeared on our ship," Robin pointed out. "It is quite possible that we have taken some sort of relic or antique that should have remained where it was, and that Ghost-Kid is the disturbed ghost that is now with us."

"So it's a mystery chest?" Luffy grinned.

"What do you suppose is _in_ the chest though?" Nami clasped her hands together.

After Usopp had mostly recovered from his fear of ghosts, he rolled his eyes, "Really?"

"This is for Ghost-Kid!"

No one was really convinced by this, but it seemed that that was the answers to their questions lay in whatever the contents of the old chest hid. "So...where is it?" Nami asked, impatient to get on with it.

"Oh. It's at the bottom of the aquarium!" Luffy laughed.

"Go get it!" Nami yelled at him, pointing her finger out the door.

"Wait," Robin cautioned. "It might be more difficult to get the chest out than it was to put it in the water. Someone who can be incredibly gentle should retrieve it."

"Me!" Sanji threw both hands in the air, nearly knocking Zoro over and thus starting another fight between them.

"In the water..." Brook murmured. Everyone turned to look at the skeleton. "In the water..."

"What about 'in the water'?" Franky asked.

"Luffy-san, about when did you put the chest in the aquarium?"

"Umm...just now!"

"Like...fifteen minutes ago?" Usopp estimated.

"I wasn't here, so I wouldn't know," Brook spoke slowly, "but is it possible that Ghost-Kid fell unconscious about fifteen minutes ago? He did say he ate a devil fruit before falling asleep in the crow's nest the first day."

"Now that you mention it..." Sanji muttered.

"Could there be a correlation between contact with water?" Robin frowned.

"So it was you!" Nami grabbed Luffy's vest and Usopp's overalls.

"We won't know for certain until we try. Cook-san?" Robin turned to Sanji who was all too eager to do her bidding. "Since you've volunteered already, why don't you get the chest?"

"Of course!" Sanji noodled out the door, the rest on his heels.

"Nami," Robin held the navigator a bit longer, "I will wait in the infirmary with Chopper while you get the chest out of the water."

"Robin, I think you should be there though. Are you sure?"

The archaeologist waved a hand and an eye bloomed on her palm. "I'll be watching."

Nami shuddered, "Creepy," and rushed after the others, yelling out orders all the way.

Robin slipped into the infirmary where Chopper was pacing back and forth.

"What's going on?" the reindeer wondered aloud. And then, "Why is everyone running around on deck?"

Robin quickly explained to him the situation and Chopper immediately rushed to his patient's bedside, watching eagerly for any sign of movement. Obviously, it was much too early since taking the chest out of the aquarium would likely take some time, and possibly drying out the wood would take more time, but Robin stayed silent. Chopper stared while she closed her eyes and watched her crewmates with another eye on the wall beside them.

A loud cheer echoed about the _Thousand Sunny_ when Sanji surfaced and the old chest was carefully placed on the deck. Luckily, the sun was hot and the wood seemed to be drying quickly.

"Any sign yet?" Robin asked Chopper.

"No..." the doctor moaned dejectedly.

"Hmm...if this doesn't work—"

Chopper interrupted her thought with a cry. "He frowned! Ghost-Kid frowned!"

And indeed he was, as if he were having a bad dream. And then his eyelids twitched, and his fingers flexed. In mere moments, Ghost-Kid woke to a crying Chopper in his face.

It was Robin's turn to frown. What in the world could this mean?

* * *

 **A/N:** And of course, all my stories are longer than I expect. School has been burying me, so I'm not sure when I'll get back to this. My apologies! If you can **R &R, plz&ty!** It may influence the speed of the next update but I won't make any promises.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you to MysticWaterWolf and Jujus for reviewing, and to the people who followed and favorited. You warmed my heart.

* * *

 _recap:_

A loud cheer echoed about the Thousand Sunny when Sanji surfaced and the old chest was carefully placed on the deck. Luckily, the sun was hot and the wood seemed to be drying quickly.

"Any sign yet?" Robin asked Chopper.

"No..." the doctor moaned dejectedly.

"Hmm...if this doesn't work—"

Chopper interrupted her thought with a cry. "He frowned! Ghost-Kid frowned!"

And indeed he was, as if he were having a bad dream. And then his eyelids twitched, and his fingers flexed. In mere moments, Ghost-Kid woke to a crying Chopper in his face.

It was Robin's turn to frown. What in the world could this mean?

* * *

By all appearances, the Strawhats were going about usual business on the high seas of the Grand Line. But there was a heaviness in the air, a question. Every now and then, the crew would, in their own way, cast a fleeting glance at the closed door of the infirmary. Chopper was still inside with Ghost-Kid and, after seeing what had happened with the old wooden chest and the aquarium, everyone was both curious and a little anxious to see what story came of it. The look in Ghost-Kid's eyes when he had woken up was markedly different from the expressions he had shown them this far. It was a look of heartbreak and loss and Brook seemed especially quiet. Perhaps he was remembering the fifty years he spent floating aimlessly in the Florian Triangle.

Sanji observed the abnormally quieter dinner table. Zoro wasn't present. The swordsman didn't even make much noise in the first place, and it wasn't strange for him to skip the usual dinnertime in favor of his workout routine, but today his absence seemed especially meaningful. Even Luffy wasn't eating with his usual gusto though that certainly didn't stop him from gulping down plate after plate of food. But Robin was so deep in thought she barely touched her dish, Franky his cola. The cyborg had been watching the liquid slosh back and forth in the bottle as he rolled his wrist. Chopper had a crease in his forehead that hadn't gone away since he'd exited the infirmary hours earlier. The cook bet it had been there for much longer.

Finally, when he met Nami's and Ussop's anxious eyes, Sanji had just about had it. His food was growing cold and his friends were all mopey over a… Well, if he was being honest with himself, he had been smoking a lot more than he usually did. Ghost-Kid's condition was getting on his nerves as well.

Suddenly, Chopper sat up in his seat, ears twitching back and forth. At the same time, the door opened and Zoro stuck his head in, "He's awake."

In a second the reindeer leapt from his stool and rushed out, the swordsman trailing him. There was no time to wonder how Zoro had found out that piece of information first because the muffled, joyful exclamation coming from the wall between the kitchen and the infirmary was enough to get everyone on their feet and rushing towards the sick bed. Their green-haired crewmate held the door open as they filed into the small quarters one by one and arranged themselves around their tired-looking friend.

Ghost-Kid was paler than they had last seen him when he was awake and moving about. They could nearly see the wrinkles in the sheets at his back right through his body. At his request, Chopper helped him sit up against a pillow-cushioned wall. Sanji entered last with a bowl of soup he'd grabbed from the kitchen. When Ghost-Kid finished drinking, a little color and material returned to his body and he offered them all a sheepish smile.

"I need to tell you all something. But i–it's kind of long…" Ghost-Kid faltered, his voice much softer and hoarser than before. To everyone's surprise, he looked straight at Luffy and asked, "Is that alright?"

Luffy's eyes were wide and expressionless as he nodded, once and vigorously, "Mm!" Zoro slid into a comfortable position on the floor, his arms tucked behind his head. He was settling in for what was to come as though he had been waiting for this exchange the whole time.

Ghost-Kid scanned the room, his eyes resting on each of its occupants, then asked, "Before that, what did you do to the chest? I'm assuming it's dry since I'm feeling rather awake, but it's part of the story and I guess you could say it's...it's my treasure and the last thing that keeps my existence in this world."

The word 'treasure' seemed to suddenly change the atmosphere of the room. Luffy often spoke of his hat the same way, and the friends who did give their captain a glance guessed what he was thinking about. Robin moved to the foot of the bed and knelt down but it was Franky who spoke up, "Don't worry, lil' bro. It's right here." The archeologist carefully, almost reverently, picked up the old chest and rested it atop the sheets at the end so Ghost-Kid could see it.

The boy visibly relaxed and nodded, "Thank you, Robin. Franky, you are an extremely skilled and caring shipwright. I can tell." His fingers curled absentmindedly around the empty bowl in his hands as the cyborg turned a bit red. "The _Thousand Sunny_ is a very happy ship—and should be with all of you as its crew—though I pray you will never meet it in its ghostly form. Earlier, the day you discovered me running about your ship, you were discussing it with Usopp—the spirits of ships."

" _K_ _labautermann_?" Usopp supplied.

"If that is what you call the incarnation of a ship's spirit, then yes," Ghost-Kid smiled. "I am the spirit of a ship owned by a merry group called the Fishing Pirates...but they are certainly all gone by now."

This news generated a few gasps and murmurs of surprise. Robin frowned, "But if you are a _klabautermann_ , then where is your ship? Could it be...?"

"The old chest is the remains of my days of glory," Ghost-Kid replied, guessing what the archeologist was thinking. "When I was born, I had many secret compartments built into my walls. The old chest is what's left of one of those compartments. Its location was in the heart of my wooden shell—the hardest to get to—and it's also where my captain hid a collection of many things that reminded him of his dream of total freedom, including a devil fruit which was going to be used to help fund any expenses we might have. There was no use eating it, you see, because none in my fishermen crew wished to give up their ability to swim.

"My captain loved to fish, but he wanted to be more than a fisherman. He was a wanton adventurer, wishing to see and catch new species all over the world. Even so we kept coming back to one specific part of the Grand Line. Fish Island was given its name because of the deep sea fishing community. It was his favorite piece of land and our base though it was smaller than any other we'd been to." The Strawhats nodded. They had just come from that island and not much had changed. The Fish- _Ossan_ , whose tank and treasure chest Luffy was obsessed with, had confirmed that much.

Now a distant look sparkled in Ghost-Kid's eye, "The crew loved me so much—almost as much as they loved fishing. I didn't deserve it. And now they rest safely on land if they got away, or they lay on the bottom of the ocean if the sea king got them and rid them from its system by now—the very monster you fished up and ate just the other day."

Franky lifted his sunglasses to his forehead, "If I'm not mistaken, you were made of Adam's wood as well."

"Yes," Ghost-Kid laughed and gazed at the old chest before him. "That's probably why I feel so at home here and why I've lasted this long. Other wood should have wasted away long ago. I'm not even sure how long I was in the sea king since I cannot remain conscious if what's left of me is wet with seawater.

"But you see," Ghost-Kid looked up and continued his story, "my captain's dream was to be free. He had escaped from some horrible form of enslavement. Even as a captain he still wore the scars and brands of his owners..." Ghost-Kid clenched his fist.

"We had just arrived at Fish Island and Captain thought he had found a buyer. Then, when they realized our captain had a bounty, they decided they wanted more than the devil fruit. But my captain was no coward," Ghost-Kid exclaimed. His tone had changed as he spoke powerfully about his captain, but he quickly deflated partially from sadness, and also from pure exhaustion. Sanji's food had done its job but he was still slowly losing his strength. "My captain would never run away from a fight. But he quickly realized that the enemy was much stronger. These pirates dabbled in the slave trade, and they had very little regard for me. If he stayed and fought, his crew would be enslaved or killed, I would sink to the bottom of the ocean, and my captain would be punished if not executed by his former owners. But if he sacrificed himself...then his friends could still escape to freedom."

Tears began rolling down Ghost-Kid's cheeks. "He was willing to give up his dream of freedom so his friends could be free," he choked. There was a moment of silence while Ghost-Kid recovered his voice. "Sorry," he whispered. The Strawhats shook their heads, murmuring that it was alright, and Ghost-Kid gulped down the glass of water Sanji quietly handed to him, trading him for the empty bowl.

"He loved everyone so much," the tired spirit sighed. "If someone was cold, he gave them his coat. If someone had no food, he'd feed them and then teach them how to fish. If someone was lost, he'd show them how to be free. He always said that he knew what it was like to be cold and hungry and lost, and that freedom was the best gift he had to offer..." Ghost-Kid blinked back his tears and exclaimed, "Such a thing—it wasn't fair! I was _not_ going to let him experience any of that ever again even if it was the last thing I did! So when the captain surrendered and led the other captain to the devil fruit, I...I did a bad thing. As soon as they went below deck, I went against his wishes and appeared to the rest of the crew."

He chuckled a little bit at the memory. "I sure did give them a scare. Our enemy, as I expected, never intended to follow through with their end of the deal. But I was able to scare enough of them into retreating back to their ship so the Fish Pirates who were still alive could fight the rest of them off—that is if our opponents didn't jump overboard first. I got our first mate to rally the rest of my friends into the lifeboats and told them to row as far away as they could."

Ghost-Kid smiled sadly, "I could tell they wanted to ask me more, but there was no time. When I rushed to my captain, he was just about to hand over the devil fruit. I snatched it away and swallowed it whole."

He met the shocked reactions with a small grin, "I had no idea if it would work. We didn't even know what kind of devil fruit it was though I once overheard the crew discussing that potential buyers had speculated it was the Mirror Mirror Fruit. Of course, I never had a chance to find out what it was or what my abilities might be at the time. As a ship, I'm constantly in contact with water. When I became a devil fruit user this small, ghostly body immediately collapsed and my wooden shell began sinking. Somehow I managed to maneuver myself so I tangled my sails with the enemy ship's and I took them down with me. The sea king must have been passing by because he came and ate us soon thereafter.

"I don't know what became of my captain or my crew. I'm only positive that I took the enemy with me into the water. I vaguely recall a state of semi-consciousness in the great beast's stomach but I was waterlogged still. When you fished it up and settled the old chest in your closet to dry, I slowly came to and found myself wandering your ship, unable to remember who I was or why I was here.

"You know the rest of the story," Ghost-Kid slowly bowed his head as low as he could from his seated position. "I cannot thank you enough for your kindness to me. To Sunny especially because I don't know that I would have allowed another to walk my decks as Sunny has allowed me to do."

Franky discreetly swiped at his eyes and sniffed. Brook bowed his head. Luffy quietly, thoughtfully pulled at the string of his hat wound round his neck.

It was Robin who spoke up, "We thank you for sharing with us and we're relieved you've regained your memory. But...hold on. This doesn't make sense. Doesn't a ship need to be whole in order to have a _klabautermann_?"

Nami agreed, "I mean, when _Merry_..." At the mention of the _Going Merry_ , a gloomy feeling filled the room, but she kept going. "We saw the _klabautermann_ of our first ship, the _Going Merry_. Some of us, many times actually." Usopp nodded. " _Merry_ 's spirit spoke to us as well, but sailing with us took its toll and we had to send it off. It even gave us parting words. I'm sure not all the ship was touched by fire, so how is it that you're still here?"

Robin agreed, "If we were to think of a _klabautermann_ literally as a ship's soul, then why, despite only being part of a ship, would your soul still be here?"

There was a length of silence before Ghost-Kid slowly replied, "I can't be sure since I haven't encountered many of my kin, and so have only my experiences to go off of, but I have many theories and it is quite possible that it is only the cumulation of many reasons which has allowed me to appear as I am before you today. I'm guessing that I'm still here because I was made of Adam's wood, which is quite sturdy and also happens to be the wood that I'm in contact with now." He brushed the wall at his side with his hand. "Maybe it's because the old chest was located at my heart and was constructed there very purposefully. The captain kept a great deal many other things in there, things that reminded him of his freedom. It may be that his will allowed me to live on.

"There is also the fact that you can see me. Maybe it's because you've already seen one of my kind before, or because I happened to be taken up on such a kind ship with a moving spirit who helped me along, though young, my kinsman in spirit and in body." The Strawhats looked at each other, wondering at the implication that Sunny had had a hand in Ghost-Kid's recovery.

"Or maybe it is my own will that has carried me this far," Ghost-Kid grimaced. "Maybe I feel I did not go down as I should have. After all, I don't even know what became of my crew or my captain."

"And what about your devil fruit?" Chopper piped up, feeling much better now that the possibility of another emotional crisis or blackout seemed to be over. As usual, the poor doctor had been analyzing his patient for any signs for alarm throughout the whole story. "Have you figured out what your devil fruit does?"

Ghost-Kid gave the reindeer a wry smile, "I'm almost sure I've figured it out." Then he asked a rather strange question, "What color is my hair?" Startled, the doctor repeated his question back to him. Ghost-Kid replied, "Just say what color hair you see."

"Alright," he nodded. "I see dark brown."

By the surprise on everyone's face, it became clear that not everyone saw dark brown hair. Usopp said, "But I always thought his hair was darker like mine and Luffy's." The apparition before them flickered, reminding them that Ghost-Kid was indeed not made of the same material as them.

"So we all see an image of what we imagine instead of the reality," Robin pondered aloud. "Seems fitting with a name such as the Mirror Mirror Fruit. When I first saw you outside by the garden, I thought you were a little girl." Sanji remembered his first encounter with the spirit, but kept quiet about seeing his younger, starving body as a reflection.

"Does it have to be that way?" Nami worried her lower lip, "There isn't some way you can override whatever it is that we're seeing until we all see the same image?"

Ghost-Kid tilted his head, "I would assume so, but I haven't tried yet. It's funny that I've been a devil fruit user for this long but I've only been able to test it out for all of a few days." He hesitated. Then said, "I'm also worried about what would happen to me. I do think I benefit from your assumptions about me. I know many of you think of me as a strong individual despite my lack of solid form. For example, even your assumption that food will make me better is helping me, and I wonder if reverting to what I really am would suddenly render me so weak that I would disappear. I've been feeling much more drained lately."

Suddenly, he made to get up out of bed. The Strawhats protested and voiced their concern for him until they realized he was shifting until he could bow face-down on the bedsheets. "I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you," he nearly whispered. "When you took me in and comforted me, and fed me, and showed me around, and played with me, I had so much fun it was like a dream. When I saw the fish in your aquarium, I felt something was at once wonderful and incredibly saddening, but I couldn't know at the time—" and now he was babbling. "You took me in and cared for me like I was your own. You worried about me and I—"

Luffy frowned then cut him off. "You're our friend, our _nakama,_ " he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Crouching low and learning forward until he was craning his neck to see the small boy's face, he said simply, "Of course we worried about you, but you're alright now, aren't ya?" He ruffled Ghost-Kid's hair with a grin.

A chorus of affirmations erupted from the others. A contented smile spread on Zoro's face. And, for a while, there was nothing but peaceful bliss to be felt as the Strawhats stayed gathered round their friend in support, voicing their love and concern for the poor spirit. Then Robin, who was still deep in thought, murmured, " _Morning Gloria_."

Ghost-Kid froze. He had somehow heard her soft voice over the louder din by his ears. "What did you say?" his hands shook.

"Is that not your name?" she asked.

"Yes, but...how did you...?"

"An ex slave with the brands still scarring the skin. A passion for fishing. Fish Island. Pirate enemy. A sea king." Robin was building a list. "The rusted lock on the chest resembling one we'd only seen a few days ago. An optimistic, freedom-loving old man living alone, reminiscing about the days he was a captain, who loves to rise early and rejoice in each new day as a new beginning."

"I did think that lock looked familiar," their resident money-hoarder muttered under her breath. Usopp shot her a dubious look but he was getting excited about the direction of Robin's observations.

The archeologist explained, "We spent some time at Fish Island and met a retired old man."

"The Fish- _Ossan_!" Chopper cried. He, like the others, was beginning to follow Robin's logic. Luffy wondered aloud what the old man had to do with what they were talking about.

Robin nodded, "While everyone was asleep, I happened to have a lengthy conversation with him that revealed more details about his past. Out there on that island he finds it especially fitting that his beloved ship sank to the east of Fish Island. Now he can look towards the sunrise while thinking of the wonderful ship who carried him and his friends to freedom."

Ghost-Kid, or _Morning Gloria_ , sat quietly, his hands fisted into the sheets around his legs. Tears dripped softly onto the white linen, leaving dark stains. "What..." he mumbled, then threw his head back and gave a short bark of a laugh, "So that's how it was. All this time I thought..." He trailed off, shaking his head. The Strawhats smiled and the room was filled with a happy warmth that left them all nearly giddy with excitement at the turn of events.

"This calls for a party!" Luffy leapt onto a chair and yelled.

"Luffy!" Nami hissed. "Be careful not to fall and hit the chest. It's fragile enough as it is!"

"I don't know..." Chopper worried. "Ghost-Kid is still pretty weak."

"Don't worry!" Luffy huffed, impatiently. All we have to do is believe he's strong, right?"

"Well..." Nami hesitated.

"It's been so long since we've partied. And we should celebrate since Ghost-Kid got his memory back. Right? Right!?" Their captain grabbed Ghost-Kid's shoulders, "Just believe it! Believe me!" he cried. "You've made it this far _because_ you are strong!"

The look on the _k_ _labautermann_ 's could only be described as amazed. Still, he was looking more solid than ever and a bit of color was returning to his cheeks. Sanji chuckled, "You just don't give up, do you? Alright," he conceded. "Give me fifteen minutes."

Fifteen minutes later, as promised, food was making its way onto the dining table as everyone laughed and danced and sang the night away. Ghost-Kid was scandalized at some of the tricks Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper pulled, but they soon had him in a joyous fit, his tinkling laugh echoing off the walls of the _Thousand Sunny_. Franky danced something awful in the background as Brook provided the music and Nami clapped her hands along. Robin and Zoro simply smiled and observed the happy gathering. In a few hours, all but Brook, who offered to take the night watch, was fast asleep.

At some point, Ghost-Kid awoke suddenly, a twinge in his gut. A voice he was sure had called him had faded away. He quietly slipped outside to the deck.

Brook was there, keeping watch. He seemed to know almost intuitively what was about to happen, because he quickly walked to the kitchen to rouse his sleepy-eyed crewmates. When he opened the door though, he saw that Sanji and Zoro had already begun waking everyone up. It was nearly the time Sanji started breakfast anyway, and Zoro must have, unsurprisingly, heard the _klabautermann_ 's exit.

When they made it out to the deck, they saw the sky erupt into a warm yellow. As the fiery white of the sun flashed over the horizon, they were dismayed to find that it shined right through Ghost-Kid's small form by the railing. He examined his arms and body, then met the concerned and sorrowful expressions of his friends. "I'm sorry," he smiled, a twinge of regret in his eyes. "It looks like whatever has been holding me here has moved on."

It was true. His body was becoming more and more transparent, and soon they saw a figure wearing a raincoat staring back at them. Then he leapt into Luffy's arms, "I'll miss you. I'll miss you all!" He buried his face into the crook of the rubber man's shoulder.

"Damn it! I'm not crying at all!" Franky choked as the Strawhats gathered round for a group hug. It was time to send the spirit off for the last time.

When they all backed up so they could look properly at one another, Ghost-Kid beamed at them, "You know, I was named _Morning Gloria_ because of my captain's wonderful outlook on life—every day is a new day to rejoice in. But I will always treasure the name you gave me. I'm glad I stayed this long because I got to be Ghost-Kid. I got to meet all of you!"

He looked straight into Luffy's eyes and said, "Captain, I heard you would love to have a treasure chest in your aquarium. I know I won't be here any longer, but if Franky or Usopp could restore my heart to a better condition, I'd be honored if the last of me could go to rest on your ship."

Luffy looked surprised for a moment, but he quickly recovered and squeezed Ghost-Kid tight before springing around, "Yahoo! I finally have a treasure chest for the aquarium!"

"Luffy!" Nami chided, but she smiled all the same.

Chopper sniffed and Franky was nearly bawling, "That's so...romantic!"

Usopp gave the cyborg a look, then saluted the _klabautermann_ , "Don't worry! Leave the refurbishing to us!"

Ghost-Kid smiled. Behind him, the last of the rising sun leapt above the sea, and then he was gone. But not quite. The old chest was still at the foot of the infirmary bed, ready for expert hands to restore it to its former condition and to be laid to rest in the aquarium of the _Thousand Sunny_. The crew gathered near the railing, watching as the sky turned pink, then purple, then faded into a pleasant blue. It promised to be a new and glorious day indeed.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's it! I'm pretty sure Sunny's aquarium doesn't have a treasure chest in it, but if it did, I'd like to imagine such a thing as this could happen. I'd think if a gun or sword could somehow 'eat' a devil fruit, then surely a _klabautermann_ could too (though it usually wouldn't make much sense because it's a ship in contact with water). Also, the Mirror Mirror DF is something I made up for this story. I've been using Japanese words, but decided to render the DF in English because Kagami Kagami is a mouthful.

I'm always interested in hearing what any of you would like to say. Like most of my fanfictions (though there are few) they are explorations of my theories of _One Piece_. Thank you especially to those who supported me way back in July, for sticking with me and just being awesome. Please **R &R, plz&ty**. And it's been so long, but this is Misa-kike-chi, over and out!


End file.
